New Year, New Plan: Winter Activities That Help You Reach Your Ability Goals

The New Year's holiday has always been about new beginnings and new goals to work towards. It doesn't matter how old or how young we are, change is inevitable, and it's easier for us to implement when such changes are our decisions, based upon our personal hurdles. This is the perfect time to approach what is lacking in our lives and change it with an awesome and supportive plan of action. While we definitely don't want to isolate ourselves, we can create a more calm life indoors, away from the cold air and rambunctious atmosphere still going on outside. We just need winter activities that we can do on our own and others that we can do with our families and partners in care. Let's go over some options.

Mental Stimulation as Winter Activities

We need something besides TV and Netflix to take our thoughts off the winter weather and the more we keep our minds active, the longer we will have them. The best way to keep feeling young, energetic, and confidence is to find activities that you love doing and that create whatever response you are searching for.

● Arts and crafts: quilting, recycling trash into art, painting, etc.

● Writing/reciting their history

● Knitting/crocheting

● Genealogy, or building a family tree online

● Birdwatching or animal watching

● Boardgames, crosswords, Sudoku, etc.

● Jigsaw puzzles

● Lastly, adult coloring books

Basically, we should all be doing activities that engage both sides of our brain, encouraging communication, and promoting independence. Our cognitive health is so important, and it's like a muscle. If you don't use it, you lose it. You must remain in motion to stay in motion.

Physical Exercise

We need to keep active as much as possible. Physical exercise for winter activities maintains and increases the strength in your muscles while increasing your stability. Your entire goal should be to increase your heart rate and your excitability, to get your blood pumping, and your soul excited for fun. Tailor your projects based upon what you, or your family, or your caregiver can do.

● Short walks, outdoors if possible

● Gardening, tolerated yard work

● Wii: golf, tennis, etc.

● Dancing

● Singing

● Exciting board games that encourage movement and excitement: i.e. Hungry, Hungry Hippos with grandkids

● Lastly, playing with a pet or animal

Truly, while the goal should be to enrich our minds and bodies with activity, the whole truth is that each of these activities has the possibility of bringing us closer to the people that we love and who care for us. It doesn't matter if we are hanging out with our grandkids, our elderly family members, or our committed caregivers, human contact and time together is all any of us really need.

Intended Responses

Not everyone has the talent to crochet an entire blanket, the means to buy oil paints, or the physical ability to build a birdhouse, but there are so many meaningful activities to keep your mind busy and to fill your time.

The winter activities that you choose should be age and ability-appropriate. For example, adult coloring books are really helpful. The act of coloring is calming, it centers our attention, and allows us to practice manual dexterity and control. Just a few years ago, all they had were coloring books for children. Grandma doesn't maintain her dignity by coloring pictures of Elmo. That's not the desired response we want from our time. Beneficial activities can elicit positive results, such as:

● Reduced risk of dementia

● A longer life

● Less depression and more happiness

● Stress reduction

● Increase in confidence and self-efficiency

● Lastly, improved memory and an increase in problem-solving skills

Find More Winter Activities That Help You Reach Your Ability Goals

Playing isn't just for children anymore, and it's the perfect catalyst for change and new beginnings. It can help us reach any goals that we want to set for the New Year and maintain our attention towards that goal. Whether you are a concerned family member or a friend in need, Senior Helpers has such an encouraging and helpful team in the Knoxville area. Contact us for further information on what we can offer you and keep checking out our blog for excellent information on aging and ability.